Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary:searchI. verbEtymology: Middle English cerchen, from Anglo-French cercher, sercher to travel about, investigate, search, from Late Latin circare to go about, from Latin circum round about — more at circum-Date: 14th century
transitive verb1. to look into or over carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something: as
a. to examine in seeking something Example: searched the north fieldb. to look through or explore by inspecting possible places of concealment or investigating suspicious circumstances
c. to read thoroughly ;check; especially to examine a public record or register for information about Example: search land titlesd. to examine for articles concealed on the person
e. to look at as if to discover or penetrate intention or nature
2. to uncover, find, or come to know by inquiry or scrutiny — usually used with outintransitive verb1. to look or inquire carefully Example: searched for the papers2. to make painstaking investigation or examination
• searchableadjective • searchernoun • searchinglyadverbII. nounDate: 15th century
1.a. an act of searching Example: a search for food Example: go in search of helpb. an act of boarding and inspecting a ship on the high seas in exercise of right of search
2.obsolete a party that searches
3. power or range of penetrating; also a penetrating effect